Academic Advising is an integral part of undergraduate education. Academic advisors are here to provide the student with resources, guidance and support to achieve their academic, career and personal goals.

Accreditation:

The certification that a school or program meets a set of quality standards. In
the United States schools of higher education are accredited by one of six regional
accreditation associations. Programs are accredited by professional organizations.

AP (Advanced Placement):

A program of college-level courses offered to advanced high school students. Colleges/universities
often grant credit to students who achieve specific scores on the culminating exams.
The exams are administered by the College Board.

Articulation:

Describes the process of equating courses of one institution to another and the
way the classes will be used at the receiving institution. The Illinois Articulation
Initiative (IAI) assists the student in this process. If students complete the IAI
general education core requirements, they know that, if they transfer to a participating
institution, one of the requirements for graduation has been completed.

Transfer policies can change from year to year and may have small-print details that are easily overlooked.
This resources is targeted for Advisors and transfer coordinators to keep them up to date with what it takes
to successfully transfer and help students. Use this resource to help navigate the transfer process.

Associate Degree:

A type of undergraduate degree. Associate degrees require a minimum of 60 semester
credit hours and consist of three parts: general education requirements, major requirements,
and electives. Some specific associate degrees which are designed to transfer are
: Associate in Arts (A.A.), and Associate in Science (A.S.). A student attending full
time each semester (15 semester credit hours) could complete an associate degree
in four semesters or two years.

B

Baccalaureate or Bachelor's Degree:

A type of undergraduate degree. Bachelor's degrees require a minimum of 120 semester
credits. Some specific degrees are: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science
(B.S.), Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) A student
attending full time each semester (a minimum of 15 semester credit hours) could
complete a bachelor's degree in eight semesters or four years.

College Zone is a centralized website that can provide you with a wide variety of information on financial aid,
planning for college and college preparation services, among other topics. College Zone is set up in different zones,
including zones for students and parents.

Community College:

An associate degree-granting institution that is established by local communities
and governed by a locally elected Board. Also, primarily funded through public tax
dollars.

E

F

G

General Education:

The goal of general education is to develop individuals with sensitivity to and
a comprehensive understanding of the world in which they live. A general education
helps students develop moral values, habits of critical thinking and introspection,
intellectual sophistication, and an orientation to learning and investigation that
will become life long. Generally educated individuals are conversant with scientific
inquiry, appreciate the insights into the human character and culture provided by
literature and the arts, understand human behavior and social institutions, are
aware of history, respect human diversity, and act both ethically and responsibly
as members of society.

The general education curriculum constitutes that part of an undergraduate education
that develops breadth of knowledge and the expressive skills essential to more complex
and in-depth learning throughout life. To develop a breadth of knowledge, general
education courses acquaint students with the methods of inquiry of the various academic
disciplines and the different ways these disciplines view the world. The academic
disciplines comprising the general education curriculum are the physical and life
sciences, humanities and fine arts, the social and behavioral sciences, and
interdisciplinary combinations of these, as well as communication and mathematics.
To develop expressive skills, the general education curriculum requires courses
that enhance written and oral communication and quantitative reasoning skills.

M

These IAI Baccalaureate Majors' Recommendations (IAI Majors) describe courses typically taken by freshmen and sophomores for a specific major. These course recommendations are meant for students who are undecided about a transfer school

N

Native Student:

A "native student" is a degree-seeking student who enters a college or university
as a first-time freshman (subsequent to the summer following high school graduation).
Thus, a fall-term freshman who earned college credit prior to and/or during the
summer immediately after high school graduation at another institution is still
considered a native student at the institution in which he/she enrolls in the fall.
Likewise, a student who enrolls in another institution as an occasional student
while simultaneously enrolling in the initial college/university, or enrolling as
a non-degree seeking "summer guest", continues to be a native student at the home
institution.

R

The college or university to which a student transfers; not the student's first
institution of enrollment.

Receiving Only Institution:

A participating institution that will grant credit to incoming transfer students
who completed the transferable Illinois General Education Core Curriculum, but that
does not itself offer the courses in the Illinois General Education Core Curriculum.

Requirements for Graduation:

A set of requirements that must be accomplished before a degree is awarded. These
requirements may be specific to a degree program (such as a certain number of credits
in particular courses), or specific to the institution. Both the associate and the
bachelor's degrees usually consist of three parts: general education requirements,
major requirements, and general graduation requirements unique to the institution.
Also includes stipulations regarding grades, residency, or competency.

T

Teacher Certification:

In order to teach in Illinois public elementary and secondary schools the teacher
must be certified by the state of Illinois. See the recommendations for the following
baccalaureate majors: Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary and Special Education.

Transcript:

The transcript is an official document that is a record of a student's academic
work. To request a copy of the transcript or to have it sent to another party a
student would need to contact each institution that was attended for information.

Transferology is a nation-wide, web-based transfer information system that provides you with fast and accurate course and
transfer information. Many Illinois institutions participate in Transferology, and it is free for anyone to use.

U

Undergraduate:

A college or university student who has not yet earned a bachelor's degree.

University:

An institution of higher education comprised of one or more undergraduate colleges,
a graduate program, and one or more professional schools. Authorized to offer degrees
at several levels including bachelor's, master's, doctoral and the first professional.

Upper Division:

Adjective collectively describing college juniors, and seniors, or the curricula
and courses designed for, or generally taken by, juniors and seniors.